Sunday, March 18, 2007

She is 5 months old...


Dear Zoe,

OK, as I sit here and write this, I still can't believe that Zoe is already 5 months old!!

**Pause -- Zoe just ROLLED OVER for the FIRST TIME!!! YAY!**

You better believe that I just recorded that, and it will be on this blog! Maybe even today!

OK, back to my growing baby. As I sit here, and watch her kick around while laying on the floor, I laugh, and cry thinking about all she has been through, and all she has unintentionally put us through. Which, OF COURSE, all she has put us through is INCREDIBLE, and I wouldn't trade any of it for the world! I guess she was just IMPATIENT and wanted to join us in the real world instead of wait in the WOMB. While I would have preferred she waited, I thank GOD everyday for HER! Every smile she gives me I cherish. Every noise that comes from her mouth I LOVE. Hell, I get TEARY eyed sometimes when she just looks at me, or giggles at me. Sometimes the MERE THOUGHT of her makes me TEAR up, only because I know how BLESSED I am to have HER!

I am thankful for the NICU. I learned SO much while ZOE was in there! More than I ALREADY knew! The SILVER LINING was just how much I did LEARN! When having a baby at TERM, you have to learn EVERYTHING on your own. In the NICU, you not only LEARN about your NEW child, but you LEARN about their current development, and many many many COUNTLESS hospital terms, like, PULSE OXIMETRY ~ BILIRUBIN ~ GI TUBE ~ BRADYCARDIA/APNEA ~ and FEEDING TUBE ... trust me, that's only SCRATCHING the surface of terms used, and there is SO much more going on in there! SO many SICK babies ALL the time! THANKS to all the DOCTORS, NURSES, and the LORD, ZOE is Here TODAY! I was told by one of Zoe's NURSES once while I held ZOE in the NICU late at night that I was LUCKY she was ALIVE, because when she first started being a NURSE in the NICU, babies born at 30 WEEKS like Zoe, would not have survived! She said that 50 % of the BABIES in the NICU back then died. 30 Years later, we are talkin about SAVING 21 WEEKERS!!

That is just one of the reasons I am so thankful for her! MOST of you don't REALIZE how hard it is to see your BABY born so early and then WATCH as she goes through SO MUCH in just a few HOURS after she or he is born! I hope NONE of my friends have to EVER go through this again or EVER! It is VERY hard! But, REWARDING! ZOE is home! She is HEALTHY! And,TOTALLY happy! :)



I just look at her now sleeping in her swing, and FIGHT back the tears as I think... Oh my goodness, SHE IS 5 MONTHS OLD!!

I love you!!


*Mama*

4 comments:

The Weaver Family said...

She is soo cute. I was on bedrest from 24 weeks on for Israel to stay and cook in my belly. Your story is a reminder of how lucky I was to have Izzy full term.

Sheyb said...

Yes, anyone who has their baby at full term is very lucky. I think most people kinda take for granted babies being born at full term, until they have a pre-term baby. It then makes you realize how very precious their time is on the womb.

Ashley Hales said...

Shey, I was born at 28 weeks 27 years ago, really pretty amazing! Keep praying for my in-utero one to keep on staying in for quite some time! (I'm nearing 18 weeks now)

Sheyb said...

I will definitely keep you in my prayers Ash! I did not know that you were born at 28 weeks! It's truly amazing that you survived!! :)